How Savonia Achieved 76% Faster Ticket Resolution with Matrix42 Service Management

Unified Services. Elevated Performance. 

Savonia University of Applied Sciences serves over 9,600 students and staff across a wide range of support functions. As the university grew, so did the number of service requests, and it became clear that one central platform was needed to serve the entire organization, not just IT.

With Matrix42 Enterprise Service Management, Savonia has centralized seven service areas onto one platform, achieved a 76% improvement in ticket resolution time in ICT requests, and built a service model that continues to grow with the organization. 

The Challenge

From Email-Based Requests to a Centralized Service Platform

Before the transformation, Savonia used an open-source system that mainly supported IT. Many service requests arrived via email, and there was no shared visibility across support services. 

 "Requests came in through different channels, and managing the overall situation was not easy. We wanted one place where services could be requested so that users wouldn't need to think about where to go or whom to contact." 

Jarkko Karhemaa
Director of Digital Development, Savonia University of Applied Sciences

As the number of services grew and collaboration between departments increased, Savonia launched a formal evaluation process to find a platform that could scale to meet the needs of the entire university. Savonia identified the following as essential:

• A single, centralized service channel where any request, regardless of department, could be submitted, tracked, and resolved, so users would always know where to go.
• Support for departments beyond IT, covering student services, communications, travel, library, information security, and other functions — not just the IT Service Desk.
• Transparency into service request handling, with full visibility into request status, workload distribution, and service performance, was a key requirement for both end users and service owners.
• Structured workflows with integration capabilities, connecting with existing systems and supporting process automation without requiring heavy customization.
• Cloud-based architecture and cost efficiency, with a strong reference base in the higher education sector.

Matrix42 best met these requirements and enabled expansion from IT Service Management (ITSM) to Enterprise Service Management (ESM). 

The Solution

One platform for the Entire Organization

Savonia went live with Matrix42 in autumn 2024, starting with IT Service Management and gradually expanding into additional service areas. Matrix42 serves as the single service platform for the entire organization, where requests are handled in one place, from submission to resolution.

 In practice, this means consistent experience for every user, and better tools and visibility for every team handling requests.  

• Central self-service portal for staff and students to submit and track all requests, and with a dedicated guest portal available for partners and external users.
• Consistent request handling where all tickets are logged, prioritized, and processed the same way. Users can track the status of their requests, and all communication takes place directly on the portal.

• Structured forms that capture the required information upfront, reducing unnecessary back-and-forth communication and speeding up request handling.
• Workload transparency through ticket handling reminders, approval workflows, and clear task allocation across the Service Desk.
• Remote support via Matrix42 FastViewer, allowing support agents to connect with users directly, without codes or complex instructions.

The Results

Measurable Improvements in Daily Operations

The platform has delivered clear, measurable improvements across speed, efficiency, and user experience. Savonia has been tracking results continuously, with the data reflecting the impact of both the new solution and the improved ways of working it has enabled.

• 76% faster ticket resolution for ICT support, achieved through structured workflows, smarter forms, and automated routing.
• 7 service areas have been brought together on a single platform, including IT, student services, communications, travel, library, information security, and quality management.
• 9,600+ users served organization-wide, with full visibility into service request status
• Customer satisfaction is being measured after every service interaction, providing ongoing insight into driving further improvements.
• Manual work has been reduced, as structured forms capture the required information upfront, cutting down the need for follow-up communication.

The Future

Building a Strong Foundation for Continued Innovation

Savonia sees Matrix42 as a long-term platform for continuous development, with a clear roadmap of next steps already in mind. The next steps include integrating HR processes on the platform, adding another key service area to the growing list of departments already benefiting from centralized service management.

Looking further ahead, Savonia is planning to develop software and license management to extend IT asset visibility, and to build new integrations with systems commonly used across the higher education sector. AI capabilities of the platform are already used in expert work, and the next step is to make them available to end users once the knowledge base becomes sufficiently comprehensive.

Savonia’s goal was simple: one channel, a clearer service model, and better service. With Matrix42, this has now become part of everyday operations.  

"By optimizing forms, processes, and using new AI tools, we expect the processing times to improve even further." 

Panu Pennanen
System Specialist , Savonia University of Applied Sciences